Best pop-top campervan

WINNER Swift Monza

Base vehicle Ford Transit Custom Travel seats 5 Berths 4 Gross weight 3,190kg Payload 481kg Length x width x height 4.97m x 2.03m x 2.12m Price from £65,680

The Monza packs a lot into a small body – it’s a multipurpose campervan that off ers true style and practicality.

Based on the Ford Transit Custom, it has a 2-litre EcoBlue engine providing an ample 128bhp (130PS). The manual gearbox is standard, but you can upgrade to the auto' with either the same power or 168bhp (170PS). There are four exterior colours – Magnetic Grey, Diff used Silver, Chrome Blue and Orange Glow.

Inside, we prefer the lighter furniture scheme (Contempo), but there is a darker one (Techno Sport), too, which may show fewer scuff marks and grubby prints. The curved furniture is super stylish, with underfl oor and recessed LED lighting adding to the ambience.

The galley contains an all-in-one sink and cooker unit and the two-burner hob has push-button ignition. Storage here is good, too, with a drawer and large locker under the sink and a smaller one adjacent.

Next to the 42-litre drawer-style fridge is the cupboard for a portable toilet; even more useful is the second sliding door that allows access to the loo from the outside, so you don’t have to extract it through the living area. There’s also an external shower point at the back of the galley.

Two top lockers, although small, provide useful extra storage and there’s a neatly concealed larder unit, perfect for small jars and more.

The rear bench – from Reimo – off ers three seatbelts, along with two Isofi x points for child seats. So, the Monza can easily double as your everyday car. It folds quickly to make the bed and has a large drawer below for more easy-to-access storage. The most important feature, however, is its multi-point rail that allows the seat to be set further forward for travelling, or to increase boot space.

The pop-top has a bed with two reading lights on stalks and, as is the norm, there are three windows – one with a fl yscreen – all of which have zipped privacy covers. The bed raises and lowers with gas struts and it even has a strap to help pull it down. The mattress sits on Clima Plux springs, so adults can sleep here comfortably – not just kids.

The rearmost part of the furniture unit has tambour door access to more storage with a removable shelf and hanging rail, as well as a further shelved locker. Part of the bed base can be set horizontally, allowing for storage of bedding above and mucky stuff below, or raise it vertically for taller items. There is a mains socket back here too, which complements the 230V and USB outlets in the kitchen.

Eberspächer diesel-powered heating is standard, along with a 100W solar panel, 17in alloy wheels and a reversing camera, while a mini grill is optional in the kitchen.

HIGHLY COMMENDED Bürstner Playa C 500 Limited Edition

Bürstner enters the pop-top market this season with a high-spec conversion based on the short-wheelbase Renault Trafic, a vehicle that we admire for its comfortable ride and excellent driving dynamics. Here, it comes with 17in alloy wheels, an 8in touchscreen, reversing camera and Android Auto/Apple CarPlay, while the smooth EDC automatic is available as an option.

The pop-top comes from SCA, so it’s one of the best, with a scenic opening canvas and a roof bed featuring Froli springs. Down below, there’s a Schnierle seat system on rails for extra versatility and a kitchen with sliding doors (so they can be opened wherever the bench seat is positioned). It includes Isofix for two child seats, too.

As you’d expect from a major German motorhome manufacturer, the Playa is wellfinished and stylishly appointed. The added bonus here is that it also looks good value for money. Base vehicle Renault Trafic Travel seats 4/5 Berths 4 Gross weight 3,010kg Payload 610kg Length x width x height 5.08m x 1.97m x 2.09m Price from £59,990

HIGHLY COMMENDED Ford Nugget Plus

The first clue that the Nugget Plus isn’t quite like the rest of the growing ranks of Ford Transit Custom-based campervans is the fact that its pop-top hinges from the front, not the back. That’s to give maximum headroom (up to 2.40m!) in the rear galley area, where you’ll find an L-shaped kitchen quite separate from the seating area – where the cook can work undisturbed. There’s a top- loading fridge and two-burner hob here, while the sink is fed with hot and cold water via a three-litre electric boiler.

All this applies to the short-wheelbase Nugget, too, but the longer Plus model has more space, more storage – and a built-in cassette toilet with a pull-out privacy screen.

Up front, the Nugget Plus makes a great daily driver as it has a comfortable, high-backed rear passenger seat with belts for three, while twin sliding doors make for super-easy access wherever you’re parked. Top quality is assured as Westfalia builds the Nugget. Base vehicle Ford Transit Custom Travel seats 5 Berths 4 Gross weight 3,400kg Payload 920kg Length x width x height 5.34m x 1.98m x 2.06m Price from £79,617